Gaddy's Story: The First Weeks in the Life of an Atlantic Cod

Leigh Dodds is an elementary-school teacher in North Bay, Ontario.

Gaddy’s Story begins with Gaddy’s birth “in the deep waters of the
Atlantic Ocean off the Banks of Newfoundland,” then moves on to
descriptions of Gaddy’s development within the egg and his eventual
hatching at the ocean’s surface. After Gaddy hatches, we continue to
follow his growth until he reaches five centimetres in length and
returns to the seabed where he will mature into an adult cod.

Sally Goddard, a research scientist studying Atlantic cod, renders her
knowledge of the subject interesting and accessible by having Gaddy tell
his own story. Using Gaddy’s air bubbles as the background for the
text adds to the book’s charm. While the black-and-white illustrations
of Gaddy’s various stages of growth are intriguing and helpful, color
ones would have enhanced the book’s appeal even more. All in all, an
excellent resource to stimulate a child’s interest in marine life.
Recommended.